Is this pregnancy-friendly router just scaremongering?

A Chinese tech firm has come under fire for selling a Wi-Fi router with a ‘pregnant women’ mode, which promises to reduce radiation emitted by up to 70 per cent.

Qihoo’s P1 router comes with three Wi-Fi settings – wall penetration, balance and pregnant women – with the company claiming that the third setting notably reduces emissions which could be harmful to humans. A claim which has drawn criticism from rival Xiaomi.

Speaking via China’s Weibo social network, a spokesperson for Xiaomi said that Qihoo’s claims were nothing more than sales spiel:

“The so-called maternal mode is only a marketing tactic. Wi-Fi usage is safe, so please rest assured when using it. We firmly oppose, and feel ashamed of, those who create rumours and arouse instability for business purposes.”

While scaremongerers could easily dismiss Xiaomi’s comments as protestations from a jealous market rival, the facts are firmly on Xiaomi’s side.

Despite numerous studies into the matter, there’s still no data which suggests that Wi-Fi emissions could harm a person or their unborn child. The WHO maintain that the technology is safe, though it would seem that Qihoo are well aware of the facts, despite their mischevious intentions.